There are many things not to like about the American approach to sport.

The slovenly spectator who goes for a hotdog at break-point in the US Open Final, the obsession with pointless statistics and the corporate packages which
originated over the pond and went transatlantic.

But you have to hand it to the Yanks – they do big horse races pretty well. The Breeders’ Cup is the very best of thoroughbred racing, an annual two-day $26m festival which begins on Friday.

The meeting is held at a number of different North American tracks. It returns to Churchill Downs in Kentucky for a second consecutive year this time round.

It is a course steeped in history as host to America’s most famous race – the Kentucky Derby.  The twin spires atop the impressive grandstand make for a dramatic setting as the finest horses in the world round the final bend and approach the winning post.

The jewel in the crown of the Breeders’ Cup is the $5m Breeders’ Cup Classic, the penultimate battle on Saturday.

Last year’s Classic was one of the most exciting in history, more for the second placed horse than the winner. Zenyatta, a mare, was the all-time female money-making horse in North America, undefeated in 19 starts.

A 20th consecutive victory would have been unprecedented.

On her arrival at the track she was greeted by mass fanfare, not dissimilar to Tom Cruise arriving at a film premiere.

Fans wore T-shirts bearing her face and strained to get a snatched picture – she was featured in W, an American fashion magazine and the CBS news show 60 minutes. For the vast majority of the race she appeared hopelessly exhausted, eight lengths adrift early on. But the key was turned and her devastating pace unleashed, going alongside the race leader with 100m to run. In the end she was beaten by a diminishing head but will still go down in legend.

There is no such standout horse in this year’s race. But the quality of animal is so high that a winner is perilously hard to predict.

The international challenge is headed-up by the Aidan O’Brien trained So You Think. Bred in New Zealand, Coolmore Stud bought a majority interest in the horse and has been racing him in Europe for the past two-seasons.

The Breeders’ Cup will be the first time he has raced on dirt but he is touted as one of the early favourites. Tweet